“It was a 15-by-15-foot fire, stacked pallets and what looked like a sofa bed,” Millbank said. “It will be an expensive repair I understand, though.”

Al Britton, city parks operations manager, said the cost to repair the field could be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

“Depending on how bad it is underneath, could be between $30,000 to $40,000,” Britton said in an e-mail.

Nanaimo RCMP said it would have taken some time and effort to transport the materials to the site and there will likely be witnesses they hope will come forward.

“We hope that someone may have seen or heard something that will assist in the investigation,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, in a press release. “This ridiculous act of vandalism will also significantly disrupt ongoing soccer leagues and upcoming football camps, which are expected to start up in the near future.”

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at www.nanaimocrimestoppers.com or call 1-800-222-8477.